“Is Christian rock music a good tool for sharing the gospel?”—Nate
I’ve heard some friends (mostly younger ones) contend that contemporary “Christian rock music” serves a useful purpose. They say that its appeal to the musical tastes of a certain group of people who “would never walk into a church” makes it a valuable means of communicating the Christian message.
This may well be true. Indeed, what could be the harm in putting the Christian message to heavy metal, hip-hop, or any other genre if it actually does reach the heart of some who adamantly resist a more traditional setting? Far be it from me to oppose a successful methodology! There are some caveats, however. The music must, at some point, be a bridge to personal conversation. This is the case especially if the words of the songs are vague, unintelligible, and/or so esoteric that they are subject to a variety of meanings. A devotee of Christian rock music may be deluded into thinking he is giving a witness to the personal, powerful, life-changing message of the grace of God in Christ when in reality he is simply adding to the confusion.
There is also the matter of simple honesty. Talking your friend into listening to an awesome death metal album that unbeknownst to him contains an embedded gospel message sounds a bit disingenuous, a bait and switch tactic.
The communication of the Christian message, regardless of medium, must at some point present the following: A clear, concise proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10).